Former Crack House Now Offers Real Hope To Teens

A former crack house is an unlikely place for an uplifting story of holiday cheer.

But the abandoned single-room occupancy hotel at 5530 N. Winthrop Ave., once a ``shooting gallery`` for drug addicts, is a site of hope for people whose lives are mainly shattered dreams.

Every weekday, a group of teenagers who have been emotionally, sexually or physically abused gather for a couple of hours to install drywall in the old hotel, which was gutted by the city after police learned of the illegal activities there.

By the time the teens finish their work in April, they will have converted the old crack house into 18 brand new apartments for families who have lost their homes.

``Here we`ve got a number of kids who come from difficult situations,``

said David Eaton of Lawrence Hall Youth Services, where the youths attend school. ``They`re volunteering their time during the holidays and giving something back to the community.``

A four-person crew of Lawrence Hall students has been working in the house since mid-summer, said instructor Bill Lamme. They are participating in a cooperative program with Habitat for Humanity, an agency that builds and rehabilitates homes for the economically disadvantaged.

The crew already has replaced every window in the four-story house, hung drywall on most of the top floor and will be helping to place electrical outlets. Experienced workers take care of more complicated tasks such as electrical wiring and plumbing.

Lawrence Hall students used to have to settle for building miniature homes in their classroom. But now, Lamme said, the students are learning the real thing.

And they`re learning more about how to treat each other, he said.

``A lot of times, the kids don`t know the social skills that are necessary for life,`` Lamme said. ``One of the great things about this work is that it is of a cooperative nature. They have to work together and depend on one another.``

John, a 15-year-old Lawrence Hall student, said he has been able to use the skills he learns at school to help his dad with construction work at home. ``I love it,`` John said. ``I get paid, I get credit and I get out of school for more than a half a day each day.``

During the holiday season, Lawrence Hall serves up to 450 high school juniors and seniors a day, all of them referred to the social service agency by the state Department of Children and Family Services.

Most come from troubled families, and some have never had families, Eaton said. Lawrence Hall provides schooling and housing, helps locate foster families or homes and teaches young adults basic job skills.